When I fell in love

I first fell in love with the mystery of Autism the day I met Abdul. At the time, he was 6 years old and enrolling in my Grade R class. Here was a kid that LOOKED completely "normal". A gorgeous boy, with huge dark brown eyes that never met mine. Not once did he make eye contact with me, focusing instead on every object on my busy desk.

Abdul exploring his very own laboratory in class

While his mom explained to me exactly what Autism entailed, Abdul hovered and hummed a soulful tune as he reached out but never touched all the objects that caught his eye. Even as I listened and learned, I knew that this kid was about to change my life. Little did I know how profound that change would be.

Abdul must be around 15 now, but I have no doubt that he is still changing lives wherever he goes. He taught me how to hug an autistic kid (nice and tight and as often as they allow), how to appreciate someone's delight without looking them directly in the eye, how to redirect to avoid a meltdown, how to anticipate a meltdown, how to help him figure out what caused his discomfort so that he can better manage his own environment, how to elicit those rare face-splitting grins and how a child's spontaneous laughter can cause instant goosebumps and a tear to well.

With all the things I needed to learn and absorb, I started researching learning barriers, networked with Autism Western Cape and started a journey of discovery that I am still on. My research focus for my teaching diploma was (who would have guessed) Inclusive Education, and I just checked: I belong to no less than 27 special needs platforms and mailing lists. Abdul sailed through Grade R, growing and blossoming more each day. When a previously non-verbal child blurts out "I love you Cwis" you no that there is NOTHING on Earth that will stop you from seeing that happen again!

Abdul is the greatest teacher I have ever had, and without having him to guide me, I would still be stuck behind a desk trying to "figure out my life". Through the past nine years, I have encountered many children who remind me of Abdul, but I am always delighted to discover the many ways that it is true that "if you have met an autistic child, then you have met one autistic child".

The fact that a child has Autism is not a defining characteristic at all. In so many ways it feels like Autism simply focuses one's attention on specific facets, much like a magnifying glass. For me, the greatest blessing in dealing with children, and those with barriers to learning in particular, is seeing beyond the 'issue' to the delights within.

Helping a child find balance between their academic and social needs is what I love best. It is why I do what I do and it feeds my soul.

Thank you Abdul!